The Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has promised that his party will introduce universal health insurance for Ireland where everyone has private cover.
Watch Live coverage of the Fine Gael Ard Fheis at 11am and 8.30pm on Saturday.
Opening his party's Ard Fheis this evening, Mr Kenny said this would end the two-tier system in Irish healthcare and it could be paid for wholly or partly by the State.
Mr Kenny said this system worked well in the Netherlands where he said there are no waiting lists.
Attacking the Government, he said they had wasted billions of taxpayers' money while failing to reform the health service.
Mandatory targets for hospitals would eliminate trolleys and slash waiting lists.
He also accused Minister for Health Mary Harney of hiding behind the HSE and not taking full responsibility for problems in the health service.
The party faithful gathered at the City West Hotel where they were welcomed by Senator Frances Fitzgerald.
She told delegates the party is within a hair's breadth of being the largest party in local government.
Mr Kenny also said jobs would be the focus of this weekend's conference which continues tomorrow.
The main theme of the weekend will be the need to maintain and create jobs as a solution to the current economic crisis.
Delegates also have every reason for optimism as a string of opinion polls has put the party's support significantly ahead of Fianna Fáil.
With local and European elections just nine weeks away, the party can look forward to a successful outing, although Fine Gael did so well five years ago, the bar is set fairly high.
